Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1887-11-17
ST VIRGINIA, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER II, 1887
massacre. 1t is proved that he was pres
ent as commander of the assassins.

ent rs commander OF the aS>d>Slils.
s. He repeatedly affirmed that he took
no part in those murders, though he aP
proved of them. 1t is proved that the
irst unarmed victim, Mr.. Doyle, was
killed by Browns own hand. There is
abundant other proof that in all his
murders and robberies, whether in Kan
sas, Missouri or Virginia, his creed was
that "the end justifes the means" and
that lying in his case was a holy vocation.
Does the expression "honest but rude
truthfully describe John Brown?
At that time 1850 | was serving my
second term in Congress, and had every
opportunity to know the minds of MEM
bers regarding John Browns raid. There
was not one member Of the House OF
Representatives who considered his pun
ishment unjust. 4 very few (and | was
one Of them thought it impolitic, and
said that it would have been better to
put the criminal in the madhouse for life.
This method would have made ridiculous
any attempts of the Garrison disunionists
to consecrate cold Brown" either as a
martyr" or n saint" Had any Repub-
lican member of Congress defended the
course of the invader and murderer, or
denounced the courts of Virginia for
Furnishing him capiially, such Republi-
can would have been expelled from the
party without notice or delay. Henry
Wilson was one # the most radical of
the Republicans, but he said in Boston,
after Browns raid and before his execu-
ton, in words more emphatic than Gle
CANT, "John Brown is a id fool" La
ter he said in the United States Senate:
"To the allegation that Massachusetts,
sympathized with John Browns invasion
of Virginia, and elected a governor who
indorsed it, | wish to interpose an en-
phatic denial. Such 4 charge is a libel
upon the Republican party, upon the
State OF Massachusetts, and upon her
governor" Only a few months after
Browns execution the National Repub-
lican convention mot in Chicago to nom
mate candidate for President denounc-
ing the earned invasion of state, under
whatever pretense, as one Of the gravCst
crimes" Every stump speaker fer
Lincoln in the canvass denounced the
John Brown raid unsparingly aud inces-
sanity. Had there been any doubt upon
this subject, the Republican party could
not have carried n single State, and prob
ably not a single town, in all the North
ern States,
The active men at that time in urging
the claims of John Brown as saint
were the same ones who, at the South
Pennington meeting on the 9TH Of July,
1854, applauded William Lloyd Garrison
while he publicly burned copy Of tie
constitution of the United States. They
are the same who have written novels
claiming to be John Browns biographies.
They are the decorators Of their saint
with the use Of various colored feathers,
stuck here and there, and many bits o!
picturesque adornment in ribbons and
flannel rags, all Of flaming colors, so that
he has become at last much more gro
tesque than Madge Wildfre ever was
since unaided, she was her own decora-
tor. OF this sort, were the anarchists
who sought to make saint" Of John
Brown. In numbers they were utterly
insignificant, constituting less than one
in 10000 people in the Northern States
As voters they were nothing, since they
would not c0ntaminate their fingers ol
their consciences with any vote whicl
had the protection Of the constitution
called by them "a league with death arc
a covenant with hell" But in brazer
defiance of law, and in perpetual din AMI
noise, these advocates Of anarchy, thes'
"howling dervishes'-as DIR. LeonarC
Bacon used 10 call them-were equal &
Olvmpian Joye with all bis thunders.